Turtle Lady Genealogy: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 21 Prompt

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 21

Prompt – Nickname

Franz Peters married Elisabeth Dueck on February 2, 1902 in Blumenthal Mennonite Colony in North West Territories (Saskatchewan). They are my paternal grandparents. They had 11 children.

Franz Peters 1903-1977

Helena Peters 1904-1994

David Peters 1906-Before 1909

Johann Peters 1908-1976

David Peters 1909-1986

Jacob Peters 1911 – Before 1917 ----My father.

Wilhelm Peters 1913-1986

Katariena “Shirley” Peters 1914-2003

Jacob Peters 1917-1983

Mary Peters 1919-1980

Abram Peters 1926-2001

In a Mennonite Genealogical database that I use often for my Mennonite genealogy I show the following as the family for Franz and Elisabeth Peters.

In this case it shows a Katharina and Shirley Peters as two separate people. Both have the same birth date. I had never noticed this until my cousin once removed asked me about it. As far as I knew Katharina and Shirley were the same person. Further, Franz and Elisabeth did not have twins.

I asked my sister if Shirley and Katharina were the same person. She said yes.

To try and verify this I decided to look at the 1916 Census. Katie / Shirley was born in 1914 so she should be included in the census. I was checking to see if there was two children born that day.

Note the name for Helena Peters listed as “Lena”. Nickname.

And then the 1921 Census.

This was the transcription of the census. I just about deleted this census for Franz Peters but thought that maybe I should look at the actual census. So here it is.

Franz and Elizabeth are readable. The transcribers figured out Franz (the oldest son). The next two entries is where the transcriber had trouble. After Franz they transcribed the name as Peters Peters!! I only needed a quick look to know that this is actually Helena. Then the next name is transcribed as Israel Peters! Knowing the family as I did, I figured out that this is actually David. They got Wilhelm right. Then the transcribers listed the next name as Lina. Remember Lena was Helena's nickname in the 1916 census. I was a bit confused but figured that it is actually “Tina”. Which of course is the nickname for Katariena. Of course! The next two names were transcribed correctly as Jacob and Marie. Jacob, my father, went by Jake and Marie went as Mary.

There were not another name listed with Katriena's age.

The 1931 Canada Census.

Again Katariena Peters is transcribed as Lena Peters but it should be Tina Peters. Note that in this census Marie is now Mary and Jacob is Jake.

And no where is the name for Katariena ever suggested as “Shirley”. I know when we visited Grandma Peters, Mary and Katariena, my dad called her “Katie” and sometimes mom called her Shirley.

Nicknames were the cause of confusion on whether Katariena and Shirley were two different people. They are one person. Katariena can be shortened to Tina which was often transcribed as “Lina” That caused confusion when Helena was listed with the nickname of Lena.